Published: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 04:17 PM.

The small bear was discovered about 1:30 p.m. A school resource deputy was out back “negotiating” with the bear to try to get it to leave the premises, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Meanwhile, buses were rerouted to the front entrance, where they had to compete with parents arriving to pick up their kids. Traffic backed up onto Walton County Road 30-A for miles.

The students were let out one busload at a time before the school released students who were riding in cars. Buses left five minutes later than usual and it took about another hour to get all the car riders off campus.

“It’s hard to watch when we dismiss all at the same time,” schools Superintendent Carlene Anderson said. “It’s much easier to monitor one group of children at a time.”

Parents were notified about the possible delays at 2:10 p.m. through the school’s alert system, Anderson said. School usually lets out at 2:20.

Anderson said it was the first time since she’s been in Walton County that a school had to work around a bear, which happens to be Butler’s mascot.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived by 3 p.m. and had the bear contained to an area away from the children, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Catherine Rodriguez said.

“Everyone is safe and there are no issues,” she said at the time.

Anderson asked parents who have not yet done so to register a phone number or email address with the school for use in future situations.

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The small bear was discovered about 1:30 p.m. A school resource deputy was out back “negotiating” with the bear to try to get it to leave the premises, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Meanwhile, buses were rerouted to the front entrance, where they had to compete with parents arriving to pick up their kids. Traffic backed up onto Walton County Road 30-A for miles.

The students were let out one busload at a time before the school released students who were riding in cars. Buses left five minutes later than usual and it took about another hour to get all the car riders off campus.

“It’s hard to watch when we dismiss all at the same time,” schools Superintendent Carlene Anderson said. “It’s much easier to monitor one group of children at a time.”

Parents were notified about the possible delays at 2:10 p.m. through the school’s alert system, Anderson said. School usually lets out at 2:20.

Anderson said it was the first time since she’s been in Walton County that a school had to work around a bear, which happens to be Butler’s mascot.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived by 3 p.m. and had the bear contained to an area away from the children, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Catherine Rodriguez said.

“Everyone is safe and there are no issues,” she said at the time.

Anderson asked parents who have not yet done so to register a phone number or email address with the school for use in future situations.